Parabola
by RaichuTec
Summary: Lavitz' death, rewritten in a manner that makes it that much more tragic.


**Parabola**

(Disclaimer: LoD characters and settings belong to Sony.)

Fruegel breathed his last, a dying curse lobbed at the Knight of Basil, whose spear now pierced his rotund gut like a pig caught in a poke. The immense body toppled over, armor ringing off the ground with a resounding echo. Silence filled the aftermath, with only the susurration of the wind whispering across the plateau to fill the void now that the din of battle ceased. Lavitz grimaced, setting a foot against the fleshy abdomen of Fruegel's cooling corpse before jerking his spear free. Blood glistened against the tip, splattering to the ground in droplets as the knight turned to face his allies. Dart's sword lowered slowly, his tense stance relaxing. Rose lifted her chin, regal as any queen despite the bruises she'd taken. Shana looked from left to right, first toward Dart and then searching the plateau for signs of Albert. Haschel bowed his head, oddly reverent for one who had been an enemy. But, Fruegel had fallen in battle and there were some things the rogue never took flippantly, despite his outwardly carefree demeanor.

It was only a heartbeat, a few furtive gestures between allies, and the silence was broken by a cry of pain and anguish. Light drew their eyes toward Albert, the young king's wrists still bound behind him and left on his knees within a circle of stones that served as his open prison. The stranger they'd all seen before, the man in black, grasped him from behind, a fist buried deep within the sovereign's back and drawing out something so bright it nearly blinded everyone, hands drifting up to shield their eyes. Lavitz' eyes widened, instead, barely restrained by a hand against his shoulder to keep him from immediately charging forward as the assault continued. The light grew steadily brighter until the mysterious stranger at last held what he had been searching so long for. The mirroresque orb glinted dully in his palm and he smiled faintly, musing over it.

And as hazelnut eyes closed, Albert fell back to the ground unceremoniously. The dust beneath him puffed into the air, disturbed momentarily before settling again. To those who stood in shocked poses, frozen and helpless as the moment unfolded before their eyes, it appeared as if he were dead.

It was then that Lavitz could no longer be restrained. With a guttural cry of his liege's name-- nay, his lover-- nay! His very reason for being! -- the First Knight of Basil leapt into the air, calling upon the Spirit of the Green Tusked Dragon to aid him and with a gust of wind and a flash of light found himself donning the armor of his calling, a Dragoon in all his splendor. With spear drawn and at the ready, he dove down toward the man in black, who he now hated with all of his heart.

Shana gasped, hands flying to her mouth as she watched, as helpless as the others to do anything to stop Lavitz, or even to warn him. Dart stepped forward as if to follow, the name of his new friend dying on his lips as Rose darted forward ahead of him. Both were too late, and realized it as the man in black casually watched the Dragoon rapidly bearing down on him. With a flick of his wrist, he brushed back the folds of his cloak, a sword of infinate beauty and deadly precision produced so fast it blurred his motions, bringing the flaming sword forward to meet with the armor of the Jade Dragoon.

For a moment, time stood still. The sword buried deep within his torso, Lavitz could only hover in mid-air, jaw slackened, skyclad eyes staring at the alien, indifferent burnished gold of his murderer. The spear clattered to the stone flooring as he felt his body dying, lifeblood spilling out over his armor and splattering against the ground.

"Lavitz!"

Dart's cry brought everyone back to that moment. The Knight of Basil drifted to the ground and finally collapsed as the last of his strength bled away, no longer able to maintain his dignity. There was no dignity in death, he realized, though he could not help but smile as he found Dart at his side, then. No dignity in death, but he still held his honor and here he had friends with him.

"Lavitz..." Albert echoed, far quieter. Forcing his aching muscles to roll over, he watched in horror as the only man he'd ever loved lay dying in the arms of a practical stranger. But the ropes still bound him tightly, his wrists having already grown raw for all his attempts to unbind himself. It was Haschel who realized the young king's dilemma, slowly coming in from behind to lower himself to one knee.

"Shh, Majesty, I'm a friend of Lavitz', too. I will unbind you," he assured as the sovereign started to realize someone had come up from behind him.

"I trust everything to you now..." Lavitz murmured his last, fingers twining with Dart's as his vision dimmed. "Albert..." he whispered with his last breath. But whatever he meant to say would be left unfinished, the Dragoon's body stilling and sky hued eyes closing forever. Shana could bear to watch no further, turning in toward Rose. The Dark Dragoon blinked, letting the younger girl cry against her chest yet offering no comfort. People died all the time and though Rose felt Lavitz' loss just as keenly, she couldn't grieve as the others did. Albert's gaze lowered toward the ground just as Haschel finished unbinding him. How could he bear to look on the corpse now? It was no longer Lavitz. He would never hear the voice of his first knight, his best friend, his lover, his beloved. Never again.

They all started as the green glow surrounded Lavitz's body. Had somehow he survived? To their dismay and disappointment, instead the Jade Dragoon Spirit freed itself from the former knight. It hovered there in the air for a moment and then all eyes fell on Albert, as the Spirit itself knew who to call master next and settled into the waiting palm of the king. Clasping his fingers over it and squeezing his eyes shut, he could not help the tears that cascaded from his eyes. "Thank you, Lavitz..." and then he hunched over himself, shaking and sobbing inconsolably with his grief.

Dart voiced all their anguish at once, a guttural sobbing of Lavitz' name shouted into the stillness of the morning air. No birds sang, no wind gusted past, nothing disturbed the moment, as if for one second, even the planet mourned the passing of a man so loyal and brave.

(That moment in the game always disturbed me. So I twisted things just a bit, left out some of the dialogue that made me utterly cringe and added in what I felt a few characters were thinking. It's still a sad, tear jerking scene. sneefle And before you ask, yes I am still working on Deliver Us. Expect a new chapter up sometime soon.)


End file.
